Privacy

We comply with our obligations under the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014, and the Information Privacy Principles set out in that Act, in relation to all personal information we collect.

For more information, download our Privacy policy (PDF, 58KB).

Our legal obligations

We will:

• only collect personal information that is necessary for Council's functions and activities and generally with your knowledge. There are circumstances where we may receive personal information from a third party. For example:
• if you visit a Maternal Child Health Centre you may provide us with information about your child or other family members
• we may receive information about someone from their neighbour if a complaint about noise is made to Council
• only use personal information for the primary purpose for which we collected it, and related secondary purposes that would be reasonably expected (sensitive information must be directly related)
• take reasonable steps to protect personal information from unauthorised access, improper use, disclosure or alteration, and unlawful or accidental destruction or loss. We maintain secure systems for storing personal information and have security procedures to ensure we protect personal information.
• only disclose personal information to a third party (including contractors, government organisations and authorities) in accordance with our Privacy Policy, legislation requiring or permitting us to do so or with prior consent
• not keep personal information on our systems for longer than is necessary (subject to the requirements of the Public Records Act 1973 or other legal requirements).

Health records

In respect of health information we collect, we comply with our obligations under the Health Records Act 2001 and the Health Privacy Principles set out in that Act.  These obligations are similar to those contained in the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014.

For more information, download our Health records policy (PDF, 107KB).

If you use our website

If you use our website, we collect certain automatically recorded information, including:

• server address
• domain name
• date and time of visit
• pages accessed
• documents downloaded
• previous site visited (where you visited our website via an external link)
• user demographics
• type of browser used.

We do:

• analyse user data to gain insights about how to improve the functionality and experience of the website. For example, we can look at aggregate patterns such as the average number of service searches that users perform.
• use cookies (small blocks of data that can be used to identify a user) to remember you and your preferences from last time you visited our website. We don’t store any personal information in cookies.

We do not:

• have access to credit card details used to make online payments. Our banking provider handles all online payments, and we don't manage or maintain their website. Our agreement with our banking provider, in common with our other contractors, imposes obligations in relation to confidentiality and privacy.
• take responsibility for protecting users’ privacy rights in relation to external websites accessed via links on our website (note: where we outsource one of our functions to a contractor, it is obligated to comply with privacy law and our privacy policy).
• have a website with the facility to allow for the secure transmission of information. You should be aware of the potential risks of sending personal or sensitive information via the Internet.

If you use our Live Chat

If you are using our live chat (Zendesk) on our website, we collect automatically recorded information user data, including:

• server address
• date and time of visit
• pages accessed
• user demographics
• type of browser used.

We do:

• ask for your name, address, phone and email to assist you with the service referred to in the live chat. It This information will only be shared with those directly responsible for providing that service, and will be held for one year. After one year this information will automatically be deleted.
• analyse user data to gain insights about how to improve the functionality and experience of the live chat. For example, we can look at how long you are on a page or how many times you have visited our website.
  • use cookies (small blocks of data that can be used to identify a user) to remember you and your preferences from last time you visited our website. We don’t store your name, address, phone or email any personal information in cookies.
• take reasonable steps to comply with relevant privacy laws, but you should be aware that there are inherent, potential risks in sending personal or sensitive information via the Internet. Learn more about how to contact us in other ways: https://www.gleneira.vic.gov.au/contact-us

We do not:

• we do not store or process any cardholder data. The application detects and replaces Credit Card numbers with a starred format like ****************.

If you make a submission to a Council meeting

Submissions are not confidential and will be incorporated into the agenda and minutes of the Council meeting at which they are considered. Council redacts name and contact information where appropriate. Submissions will be available on our website as part of the relevant agenda and minutes of that meeting. We make submissions available for public inspection in accordance with applicable statutory requirements, including those prescribed by the Local Government Act 1989 and the Local Government (General) Regulations 2015.

If you object to a planning application

Under the Planning and Environment Act 1987, we must make available, on request, a copy of any objection to a planning application (in full)  for inspection by any person during business hours. Accordingly, any personal information contained in an objection may be disclosed to a third party for the purpose of complying with that Act.

Submissions to Planning Scheme Amendments

Under the Planning and Environment Act 1987, we must make available a copy of every submission to a planning scheme amendment for inspection by any person during business hours, until the end of two months after the amendment comes into operation or lapses.

Name and contact details of submitters are required for Council to consider submissions and to notify submitters of the opportunity to attend Council meetings and any public hearing held to consider submissions. Accordingly, any personal information contained in a submission may be disclosed to a third party for the purpose of complying with the Planning and Environment Act 1987.

Other traffic monitoring cameras

From time to time, Council may use traffic monitoring cameras for the purpose of managing road infrastructure in the Glen Eira municipality. This may take the form of engaging traffic consultants to undertake transport surveys. The information collected typically includes the volume and travel direction of vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, as well as parking supply and demand. 

These cameras are an effective tool to assist Council in better understanding the traffic volume and transport needs of the community. To the extent that any personal information is captured using these cameras, reasonable steps are taken to ensure that it is protected in accordance with Council’s privacy obligations, including by ensuring that all information is de-identified.

Do you have a complaint?

Please contact our privacy officer in the first instance if you have a concern or complaint about our management of personal or health information.

You can also complain to the Information Commissioner in relation to personal information or the Health Complaints Commissioner, in relation to health information, but they may decline to hear the complaint if you didn't make it to us first.

More information

For further information about privacy at Glen Eira City Council, including the right to seek access to, or amend your personal information, contact our privacy officer at privacy@gleneira.vic.gov.au or 9524 3333.